# Redhead (musical)

Redhead is a musical with music composed by Albert Hague and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, who with her brother, Herbert, along with Sidney Sheldon and David Shaw wrote the book/libretto. Set in London in the 1880s, around the time of Jack the Ripper, the musical is a murder mystery in the setting of a wax museum.

## Background

Herbert and Dorothy Fields wrote the musical, then titled The Works for Beatrice Lillie. When Sidney Sheldon joined the writing team, it was rewritten for Gwen Verdon, who just had two smash hits on Broadway (Damn Yankees and New Girl in Town). Verdon took the lead on the condition that Bob Fosse would be the director as well as choreographer, making this his debut as a director. According to Stanley Green, Verdon was at the time contracted with producers Robert Fryer and Lawrence Carr to appear in a musical written by David Shaw. The producers resolved this conflict by producing Redhead and bringing Shaw in as one of the writers.
Redhead opened on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rodgers Theatre) on February 5, 1959, and closed on March 19, 1960, after 452 performances. Bob Fosse directed and choreographed. Production design was by Rouben Ter-Arutunian and lighting design was by Jean Rosenthal. Orchestrations were by Philip J. Lang and Robert Russell Bennett under the musical direction of Jay Blackton.
The cast starred Verdon and Richard Kiley. The show won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical ran in a brief US tour after closing on Broadway, starring Verdon and Kiley. The tour started at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago in March 1960 and ended at the Curran Theatre, San Francisco, California, in June 1960.

## Synopsis

In Victorian London, the plain Essie Whimple works in the Simpson Sisters Wax Museum, run by her two aunts, Aunt Sarah and Aunt Maude. They show the murder of Ruth LaRue, an American chorus girl, at the museum. They are visited by the murdered women's co-workers and by Inspector White of Scotland Yard. Notable among them is Tom Baxter, a "Strong Man." Essie, attracted to Tom, makes up a story about knowing who the killer is, and fakes an attempt on her life. She hides in Tom's show, and is turned into a "Redhead."

## Original cast and characters

| Character | Broadway (1959) | First National Tour (1960) |
| Essie Whimple | Gwen Verdon | Gwen Verdon |
| Tom Baxter | Richard Kiley |
| George Poppett | Leonard Stone |
| Sarah Simpson | Doris Rich | Doris Rich |
| Maude Simpson | Cynthia Latham | Cynthia Latham |
| Howard Cavanaugh | William LeMassena | William LeMassena |
| Inspector White | Ralph Sumpter | Ralph Sumpter |
| Charles Willingham | Patrick Horgan | Michael Sinclair |
| The Jailer | Buzz Miller | Bill Guske |
| Ruth La Rue / Tilly | Pat Ferrier | Pat Ferrier |
| May | Joy Nichols | Joy Nichols |

## Production history

One year after the Broadway premiere, a Spanish language adaptation was produced in Mexico City. La pelirroja was starred by the actress Vilma González and the actor Armando Calvo, featuring a young Plácido Domingo. The production opened in the Teatro de los Insurgentes on February 11, 1960.
The Costa Mesa Playhouse in Costa Mesa, California known for mounting lesser-known, unique, and obscure musicals, presented Redhead in June 1981. The musical revival group 42nd Street Moon in San Francisco, presented a staged concert of Redhead from September 2 to 20, 1998. The Goodspeed Opera House, Connecticut, presented the musical from September to December 1998. Directed by Christopher Ashley, the cast featured Valerie Wright as Essie, Timothy Warmen (Tom), Marilyn Cooper (Aunt Maude), and Carol Morley (Aunt Sarah).
In late January and early February 2015, "Theatre West" in Hollywood, California presented benefit concert performances of Redhead, featuring Lee Meriwether.

## Awards and nominations
### Original Broadway production

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 1959 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Best Musical | Won |
| 1959 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Richard Kiley | Won |
| 1959 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | Gwen Verdon | Won |
| 1959 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | Leonard Stone | Won |
| 1959 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Bob Fosse | Won |
| 1959 | Tony Awards | Best Conductor and Musical Director | Jay Blackton | Nominated |
| 1959 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design | Rouben Ter-Arutunian | Won |
The original cast album also tied with that of Gypsy: A Musical Fable for Best Broadway Show Album at the Grammy Awards for 1959 releases.